Vehicle with shock absorption for transporting passengers on a variable slope track and installation comprising said vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle (1) for transporting people on a sloping track (V) of a cable transport installation, said vehicle comprising a carriage (10) suitable for running on the track (V) while being drawn by at least one traction cable (C1) of the transport installation, a cabin support (120) carried by the carriage (10), an onboard braking device (14) and a shock absorber (13) linked to the onboard braking device and to the cabin support (120), and suitable for transforming the kinetic energy of the cabin support (120) into heat when the cabin support (120) moves relative to the onboard braking device (14) along a shock absorption trajectory in the shock absorption direction, characterized in that the onboard braking device (14) is rigidly connected to the carriage (10) and the vehicle also comprises a slide link (12) between the cabin support (120) and the carriage (10) to guide a movement of the cabin support (120) relative to the carriage (10) along the shock absorption trajectory.

Claims

1. A vehicle for transporting people on a sloping track of a cable transport installation, said vehicle comprising a carriage suitable for running on the track while being drawn by at least one traction cable of the transport installation, a cabin support carried by the carriage, an onboard braking device and a shock absorber linked to the onboard braking device and to the cabin support, and suitable for transforming kinetic energy of the cabin support into heat when the cabin support moves relative to the onboard braking device from an operational position along a shock absorption trajectory in a shock absorption direction, wherein the onboard braking device is rigidly connected to the carriage and the vehicle also comprises a slide link between the cabin support and the carriage to guide a movement of the cabin support relative to the carriage along the shock absorption trajectory.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shock absorption trajectory is rectilinear.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the carriage is provided with one or more sets of wheels for running on the track, the one or more sets of wheels defining a running plane.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the carriage is provided with a connection interface to the traction cable.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a cabin and a pivot link between the cabin and the cabin support.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the pivot link is mounted beneath the floor of the cabin.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a cabin attitude maintenance device comprising at least one set of one or more rollers operational to cooperate with at least one auxiliary rail of the installation to guide and correct an attitude of the cabin.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the carriage is provided with a buffer operational to come in ultimate contact with a stop at a lower end of the track.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is a long-stroke hydraulic cylinder, having a stroke of more than 1 m.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the onboard braking device on the carriage comprises a safety brake or a retarder.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising a locking device for locking the shock absorber or for locking the cabin support in an operational position relative to the carriage if a triggering condition is not fulfilled, and for releasing the shock absorber or the cabin support if the triggering condition is met.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the locking device comprises a lock arranged directly between the carriage and the cabin support.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the locking device comprises a lock for locking a movable component of the shock absorber in position relative to a body of the shock absorber, wherein the movable component of the shock absorber and the body of the shock absorber form a set of two shock absorption elements, one of the two shock absorption elements being attached to the carriage and the other of the two shock absorption elements being attached to the cabin support.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising a resetting device for resetting the shock absorber, wherein the resetting device is operational to move the cabin support relative to the carriage in the direction opposite to the shock absorption direction to the operational position.

15. An installation for transporting people comprising a lower station, an upper station, a sloping track connecting the lower station and the upper station, at least one traction cable, at least one stationary device for driving the traction cable, and at least one vehicle for transporting people, the vehicle comprising a carriage operational to run on the sloping track while being drawn by the traction cable, a cabin support carried by the carriage, an onboard braking device and a shock absorber linked to the onboard braking device and to the cabin support, and suitable for transforming kinetic energy of the cabin support into heat when the cabin support moves relative to the onboard braking device from an operational position along a shock absorption trajectory in a shock absorption direction, wherein the onboard braking device is rigidly connected to the carriage and the vehicle also comprises a slide link between the cabin support and the carriage to guide a movement of the cabin support relative to the carriage along the shock absorption trajectory.

16. The installation of claim 15, the onboard braking device on the carriage comprises a safety brake or a retarder operational to cooperate with a stationary braking rail of the transport installation.

17. The installation of claim 15, wherein the carriage is provided with a buffer operational to come in ultimate contact with a stop at a lower end of the track to ultimately halt the vehicle.

18. The installation of claim 15, wherein the vehicle comprises a cabin and a pivot link between the cabin and the cabin support and the track has a slope that is not constant.

19. The installation of claim 18, wherein the vehicle comprises a cabin attitude maintenance device comprising at least one set of one or more rollers, operational to cooperate with at least one attitude maintenance rail of the installation to guide and correct an attitude of the cabin.

20. The installation of claim 15, wherein the stationary drive device comprises a braking system for the traction cable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings detailed below.

(2) FIG. 1 is a general view of a transport installation comprising a variable slope track on which a vehicle according to the invention is moving.

(3) FIG. 2A is a side view of an embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention in a position corresponding to a length of the sloping track having a minimum slope, before shock absorption.

(4) FIG. 2B is a side view of the vehicle of FIG. 2A in the same position, but after shock absorption.

(5) FIG. 3A is a side view of an embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention in a position corresponding to a length of the sloping track having a maximum slope, before shock absorption.

(6) FIG. 3B is a side view of the vehicle of FIG. 3A in the same position, but after shock absorption.

(7) FIG. 4 is a front view of the vehicle of FIGS. 2A and 3A.

(8) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a hydraulic shock absorption control circuit for the vehicle in the previous figures, incorporating a hydraulic locking device for the shock absorption of the vehicle.

(9) FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment of a locking device for the shock absorption of the vehicle.

(10) FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a third embodiment of a locking device for the shock absorption of the vehicle.

(11) For greater clarity, elements that are identical or similar are designated with identical reference signs in the text and in the figures.

(12) Of course, the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying figures and described below are given as non-limiting examples only. It is explicitly provided that various embodiments may be combined with each other to propose other embodiments thereof.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment

(13) The vehicle 1 according to the present invention is intended to provide passenger transport in a transport installation T which, in this embodiment, is a uniform or variable slope lift installation, but could also be a funicular or an amusement installation.

(14) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this installation T comprises in this case a variable-slope curvilinear track V delimiting a parabolic path between an upper terminal station S2 and a lower terminal station S1. The lower end of the track V, below the station S1, is provided in this case with a stop B to provide a final stop for and to immobilize the vehicle 1 if the cable breaks or there is a major malfunction of the installation.

(15) In this embodiment and as shown particularly in FIG. 2A, 2B (with a steep slope) and 3A, 3B (with a gentle slope), the track V comprises, for example and in a conventional way, a railroad track with two parallel rails R1, R2, on which the vehicle 1 travels.

(16) The vehicle 1 comprises a carriage 10 suitable for running on the track V while being drawn by at least one traction cable C1 of the transport installation T, a cabin 11 and a support 120 for the cabin 11 carried by the carriage 10. Accordingly, the carriage 10 is provided with a connection interface to the traction cable C1. The vehicle 1 also comprises a pivot link 12 between the cabin 11 and the support 120 for the cabin 11. This pivot link 12 is mounted beneath the floor of the cabin 11, as shown in particular in FIGS. 2A and 3A.

(17) The structure of the vehicle 1 is symmetrical relative to the median vertical plane thereof such that the means described below are duplicated on either side of the vehicle and of the track, as shown in FIG. 4.

(18) If necessary, the vehicle 1 will comprise a plurality of cabins coupled to or rigidly connected to a common support. The cable C1 is driven in a conventional way by at least one stationary driving device such as a motor (not shown).

(19) The vehicle 1 also comprises an onboard braking device 14 and a shock absorber 13 linked to the onboard braking device and to the support 120 of the cabin 11, as shown in particular in FIGS. 2A and 3A. Said shock absorber 13 is suitable for and intended to transform the kinetic energy of the cabin support 120 into heat when said support moves relative to the onboard braking device 14 along a shock absorption trajectory in a shock absorption direction in this case oriented downward.

(20) The shock absorber 13 in this case is a long-stroke hydraulic cylinder having a stroke of more than 1 m and preferably more than 1.8 m. The other parameters of said shock absorber will be determined according to various parameters, in particular, the mass of the vehicle 1 (with its passenger load), its inertia and reference speeds.

(21) The transport installation T is also provided with a fixed braking system (not shown) which is additional to the onboard braking device on the vehicle 1 and is rigidly connected to its infrastructure and coupled to the device driving the traction cable C1. The braking means 14, which are fixed and onboard respectively, are for example consistent with those described and illustrated in patent application FR3079223A1.

(22) Thus, the fixed braking system incorporated in the installation T is made up, for example, of two parallel racks (not shown) extending over the entire length of the track V, each close to one of the two rails R1, R2 of the track whereas the onboard braking device 14 of the vehicle 1 is made up of a safety brake (visible in particular in FIGS. 2A and 3A).

(23) According to a specific aspect of the invention, the onboard braking device 14 is rigidly connected to the carriage 10 and the vehicle 1 also comprises a slide link 12 between the support 120 of the cabin 11 and the carriage 10 to guide a sliding movement of the cabin support 120 relative to the carriage 10 in the shock absorption trajectory. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the shock absorption trajectory is rectilinear and the slide link 12 extends parallel to the track V.

(24) The carriage 10 is provided with at least one set of wheels 1a, 1b for running on the track V, the set(s) of wheels defining a running plane and the shock absorption trajectory preferably being parallel to said running plane.

(25) The vehicle according to the invention is provided with an attitude maintenance device for the cabin 11. Said device preferably comprises at least one set of one or more rollers 111 intended to cooperate with at least one auxiliary rail C2 of the installation to guide and correct the attitude of the cabin 11. Said rollers 111 are mounted in the lower portion of the structure of the cabin 11, on the side facing the track V.

(26) As shown in FIG. 1, as the track V rises, the traction cable C1 and the auxiliary attitude cable C2 move further apart and, conversely, come closer in the lower portion of the track V. Consequently, the set of rollers 111 is preferably provided with a tilt articulation for following the cable C2 along its curve.

(27) In its lower portion, the carriage 10 is provided with a buffer 101 intended, at the end of an emergency travel stop, to come in ultimate contact with the stop B located at the lower end of the track V. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the cabin support 120 in this case has a triangular profile, the apex of which is connected, via a spindle X, to a bracket 110 extending beneath the floor of the cabin 11. The slide 12 for its part is formed for example of a groove produced at the base of the support 120 which is engaged sliding in a rib rigidly connected to the carriage 10. The reverse configuration however is possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

(28) In the event of emergency braking (by opening the safety brake 14 of the carriage 10 or actuation of the fixed braking system of the installation T) or a sudden stopping of the carriage 10 on the stop B, in particular, in the event of a major malfunction of the installation or a breakage of one of the cables, and owing to the kinetic energy of the vehicle 1, the support 120 of the cabin 11 slides downward in the slide 12. This sliding is slowed by the shock absorber 13 which absorbs the kinetic energy of the vehicle 1 in order to control its deceleration.

(29) The equilibrium of the vehicle 1 and in particular the attitude of the cabin 11 is maintained even in the event of emergency braking or stoppage of the vehicle because deceleration of the support 120 is controlled by the shock absorber 13 via the slide 12, ensuring passenger comfort and safety.

(30) In FIGS. 2A and 3A, the vehicle 1 is in the normal transit phase on two lengths of the track V having different slopes of 70° and 20° respectively to the horizontal. The support 120 is in the high position on the slide 12 and the shock absorber 13 is therefore at rest.

(31) FIGS. 2B and 3B correspond to the same vehicle 1 travelling on the same lengths of the track V as those in FIGS. 2A and 2B but in a situation of sudden slowdown or emergency stop. In this case, owing to the inertia of the vehicle 1, the support 120 is carried downward on the slide 12, but the shock absorber 13 absorbs its kinetic energy partly by heat dissipation and therefore slows the movement of the support 120 and thus of the cabin 11. The cabin 11 is therefore brought gradually to a halt.

(32) FIG. 5 shows a hydraulic circuit 200 controlling the hydraulic shock absorber 13, which comprises a variable volume chamber 201 rigidly connected to the carriage 10 and in which a piston 202 rigidly connected to the support 120 of the cabin 11 slides. The variable-volume chamber 201 is connected to a tank 203 by means of a shock absorption control valve 204 and a restriction 205. Optionally, a fill control valve 206 allows the variable volume chamber 201 to be connected to a pump 207.

(33) By default, the shock absorption control valve 204 isolates the variable-volume chamber 201, and the fill control valve 206, if present, connects the shock absorption control valve to the loss of pressure 205. A control circuit 208, controlled by an accelerometer 209 positioned on the carriage 10, causes the shock absorption control valve 204 to change state if a deceleration threshold for the carriage 10 is exceeded. Once stopped, a manual control 210 allows the pump 207 and the fill control valve 206 to be actuated to fill the variable volume chamber 201 and return the movable support 120 of the cabin 11 to the operational position.

(34) This therefore allows the hydraulic shock absorber 13 to be actuated only when necessary. As the actuation time is no more than a few milliseconds, this is sufficiently brief for the admissible acceleration threshold in the cabin 11 not to be exceeded.

(35) The device in FIG. 5 is only one of various solutions envisaged for locking the cabin support 120 in position relative to the carriage 10 in the operational position with no sudden deceleration. In a variant, provision may be made for the shock absorption control valve 204 to be directly controlled by the hydraulic pressure in the variable-volume chamber 201, or more generally by a mechanical or hydraulic signal indicating that a stress threshold between the variable-volume chamber 201 and the piston 202 has been exceeded.

(36) Other types of locking may be provided between the chamber 201 and the piston 202 of the shock absorber 13, for example by means of a mechanical lock 304 rather than hydraulic lock, as shown in FIG. 6. A lock 404 may also be provided and placed directly between the cabin support 120 and the carriage 10, as shown in FIG. 7. In all cases, triggering of locking will be controlled by a triggering condition related to the need for shock absorption. This triggering condition may be determined by one or more sensors, in particular speed, vertical or horizontal slope sensors, or simply a malfunction warning sensor, or by more specific sensors, for example a cable breakage sensor or an obstacle sensor. Also falling within the field of the sensors envisaged are mechanisms that produce guard locking between the lock 204, 304, 404 and an emergency brake, a safety brake, a retarder or a speed limiter.

(37) Various modifications are, of course, possible.

(38) The attitude of the cabin 11 may be maintained by any appropriate means, in particular by passive purely mechanical means or by active motorized means controlled by a signal representing, for example, the horizontal state of the cabin. Such a variant would be particularly suitable for installing the invention in an amusement facility where the attitude of the cabin is deliberately altered during the ride.